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BODMIN is a parliamentary and municipal borough, market and union town, head of a county court district, township and parish, and the capital of Cornwall; it is in the hundred of Trigg, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bodmin, and diocese of Truro. The town is pleasantly situated in a valley near the centre of the county, 32 miles from Plymouth, on the road to Falmouth, from the latter town and 2731 from London by rail.
The nearest station on the Cornwall railway, in connection with London, is at Bodmin road, 3½ miles south-east. There is also a short line of railway between Bodmin and Wadebridge, which belongs to the London and South Western Company.
This was a corporate town at a very early period, and is mentioned as a borough as early as 1190, in the reign of Richard I. The corporation, under the Municipal Act, consists of a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors. The borough has a commission of the peace, but is under the control of the county police. The corporation act as the urban sanitary authority. This is a seat of election and a polling place for the Eastern division of the county, and formerly sent two members to Parliament, but by the
“Representation of the People Act, 1867,” it now returns one only. The parliamentary borough comprises the parishes of Bodmin, Helland, Lanbydrock and Lanivet.
The town is well paved and lighted with gas, and has a constant supply of water at high pressure.
The church of St. Petrock, which belonged to the priory, and is the largest Cornish church of its style, was rebuilt, according to an inscription on the wall-plate of the south aisle, in 1472 and is an edifice of stone with some Norman and Early English details, but for the most part is in the later Perpendicular style, with aisles of earlier date and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, with gromed roof and parvise and three saints’ niches in front, and on the north side an embattled tower, containing 8 bells and a clock, originally surmounted by a spire 150 feet total height, which was destroyed by lightning, December 9th, 1699: the pulpit and reading desk and the remains of the ancient seats are beautifully carved: in the south-west corner, near the south porch, is a very fine Norman font, and there is a curious pillar piscina, once used as an alms-box; the head of a Gothic cross, with a sculptured representation of the Crucifixion is preserved in the church: there are memorial windows to the Rev. J. Wallis, late vicar, Mr. and Mrs.Watkin, Mr. Flamank and Mr. W. R. Hicks; the eastern portion of the church is in a dilapidated state, but a large amount has been subscribed towards the restoration, which is now (1883) being carried out. The register of baptisms ard burials dates from the year 1558; marriages, 1559. The living is a vicarage, tithe rent-charge (vicarial) £303, yearly value £320 With residence; in the gift of Captain Gustavus Lamhart Basset J.P., D.L. of Tehidy, and held since 1883 by the Bev. Arthur Lindsay Palmes M.A. of Trinity College, Oxford.
In the churchyard are the roofless ruins of the ancient chapel of St.Thomas, now nearly covered with ivy: it is a very beautiful building of the fourteenth century,and has stone sedilia and a piscina on the south side of the chancel: beneath the floor isa crypt with a stone vaulted roof: this place was the seat of a priory of Augustino Canons, founded by Algar in 1120 and dedicated to St. Mary and St. Petrock, from 926 to
981 it had been a Benedictine house, and was burned by the Danes; it was once, possibly, the bead of a see, for some time a nunnery, then secular and afterwards again monastic: at its dissolution there were ten canons, and the revenue was estimated at £170: carved stone fragments of the priory and its church are found on the opposite side of the road. The Grey or Franciscan Friary, founded here by J. London and the Earl of Cornwall, stood at Mount Folly, and vestiges of other ancient ecclesiastical buildings also remain in and around the town.

St. Leonard’s chapel of ease, at the west end of the town, was opened for Divine service about 1871 and is a small rectangular building of stone.

The Catholic chapel, situated at St. Leonard’s and dedicated to St. Mary, is a small building of stone; the chapel for the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion, Honey street, built in 1804, and rebuilt in Fore street 1870, is a plain stone building. The Bible Christian chapel, Bore street, was built in 1851. The Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Fore street, in 1839.
The Wesleyan Methodist Association chapel, Pool street, was built in 1842.
The Cemetery, situated at the top of Rhind street, belongs to the town, but there are no mortuary chapels, nor is there any burial board; two acres, purchased for a sum of £300, belong to the church, and one acre was bought for £100 by the Wesleyans.
The County Hall, situated on Mount Folly, is a well-built and commodious building, in which the assizes and quarter sessions and county courts are held. The registry of the archdeaconry of Cornwall is in Market street.
The Mayoralty Rouse is a building of stone, erected by the Corporation for the use of tbe judges during the assizes.

Berry Tower is all that now remains of an ancient chapel, built A.D. 1501, and dedicated to the Holy Cross; the land surrounding it has been enclosed, and formed into a cemetery, in which stands an ancient cross, about four feet high.
The County Lunatic Asylum, situated about a mile from the church, west of the town, consists of five principal blocks of buildings; the first of which was erected in 1820, the second in 1842, the third in 1848, fourth in 1867 and fifth in 1873; four are used for pauper and one for private patients, the whole series being available for more than 6oo: the
committee of vtsitors, consisting of ten county magistrates and tire subscribers, meets onthe last Monday in each month.
Adjoining the Lunatic Asylum is a chapel belonging to the establishment, and consisting of chancel, nave, south
transept, vestry, south porch and a bell turret, and beneath isacrypt.
Her Majesty’s Prison, about half a mile from the town, is a massive building of stone, was re-built about 1855-58, and contains cells for 250 prisoners.
The County Police Station, opposite to the Priory, was erected about 1867, from the designs of Mr. Goodyear. Bodmin is the head quarters of the county police:, the local force consists of two constables.
The Market House, in Fore street, was erected in 1840, for meat, poultry and butter. The market . is held here every Saturday.
Fairs are held on January 25th, April 11th, June and and 3rd and December 6th, for cattle and horses. A cattlemarket is held the first Monday in every month, except those on which fairs are held.

Sandoe’s Royal Hotel, situated in the centre of the town, is extensive, conveniently arranged and well conducted.

The Royal Cornwall Rangers Militia stores occupy a conspicuous position on the Lostwithiel road; there is also an enclosed drill ground for the depot of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Regiment, forming the 32nd Regimental District.
The East Cornwall Hospital and Dispensary, Mount Folly, established in is a substantial building of stone, arranged to receive fifteen in-patients, and is entirely supported by voluntary contributions.

The charities amount to £40 yearly, the principal being Chamond’s, or the Dunmere charity of 7A. oR. 25P. and £317 Consols, producing £32 16s. annually, which is distributed in clothing.
The remains of a Roman camp were discovered about x8io, 2 miles from the town, at Tregeare.
A monument was erected in 1854 in memory of Lieut.General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert, of the Bengal Army, on the Beacon, a high point, about a quarter of a mile south of the town.
Bodmin was for a long time the residence of the eminent mechanic, Lawrence Holker Potts M.D. who here invented the hydraulic pile-driving apparatus.
The outlying hamlets are NANSTALLON 2 miles northwest, and Sr. LAWRENCE, 1 mile west, the latter noted for its cattle fairs, the largest and best attended in the county:
October 29th for sheep, and October 30th for bullocks; also one for sheep and bullocks, August 21st.

The area of the municipal borough is 2,785, and of the entire parish 6,191 acres; rateable value of the borough, £12,362; and beyond the borough £2,696; the population of the municipal borough 5,061, and parliamentary borough 6,866.